Remember This Town The Way It's Meant To Be
by The ExtraOrdinary Outsider
Summary: He was eighteen years old and a high school dropout that would be working at a gas station his whole life and didn't earn enough money to help his brother pay the bills. He had hit every curveball life threw at him and wasn't afraid of loss. That's what they needed over in 'Nam.


**I'm so sorry to all of my readers, who may or may not be loyal. I have not update any of my stories in forever. School is killing me. I just took this Social Studies test that is supposed to be the final for the whole grade, but my class has to learn it in a month so we can move on to civics (whatever that is). Anyway I am just posting this short fic and then throughout the rest of the weekend I will update all of my stories. And I mean ALL of my stories. **

**So without further a do, S. E. Hinton owns the Outsiders. If I did, Sodapop would live to see his nineteenth birthday. **

Sodapop Curtis officially hated mail. If he hadn't stopped at the mailbox on his way home from work he wouldn't have gotten that stupid letter. He wouldn't have started crying again.

Crying. That's something he hadn't done since the night he ran out of he house. When Darry and Ponyboy were arguing and they pulled him into it. And he'd run off and cried about how he couldn't stand it.

That had been over a year and a half ago. Life had changed for him. He had Alex, and his brothers. And they were all happy. At least until he showed them this letter. Then their worlds would be turned upside down.

They were all still emotionally unstable. It wasn't fair.

The had lost so many. First their mom and dad. Then Johnny and Dallas in the same hour. And now possibly him, too. They couldn't lose this friendship. It was all they had left. That and the grease in their hair.

He should have known it was coming though. As soon as he saw the seal and intricate handwriting he should have known. It was the only thing in the mailbox too. No bills, or junk mail, or even the neighbor's misdelivered newspaper. It was just the stupid letter.

So when he picked up and read it he kept hoping it was something else. That maybe it wasn't for him. But it had to be. Ponyboy was only sixteen and still in school. Darry had a family to support so they wouldn't pull him away either.

But Sodapop Patrick Curtis was the name written on the envelope. It was for him. And he knew he would be getting shipped off sooner or later. He was eighteen years old and a high school dropout that would be working at a gas station his whole life and didn't earn enough money to help his brother pay the bills. He had hit every curveball life threw at him and wasn't afraid of loss. That's what they needed over in 'Nam.

He should have expected it. Most people he knew were already off fighting. Tim Shepard was already there. And so were some off the guys in Brumly. Most of the RK was gone too. The town had changed.

Ever since the first letters went out the town was different. The Socs weren't jumping as many greasers. Buck's parties were getting quiet. Basically the complete opposite of what the town had been before was what the town was now.

He could never go and out and have fun anymore. Like if he went hub-lifting with Steve. Or got drunk with Two-Bit. The next day when he's sleeping off a hangover, half of his friends could get shipped off, or a letter could be sent back saying that someone they knew was gone.

It was an inescapable nightmare for some.

So when he walked into the house acting like a bawl baby again, his brothers knew what had happened. They pulled each other into a hug that had more emotion then the time they went to the hospital and saw Ponyboy after the week he was gone.

The door slammed open and shut with a loud thud. He would miss that sound. He turned to see who it was and saw Steve and Two-Bit standing there.

They both saw the letter in his hand and immediately rushed over into the hug. This time they were all crying.

And then he realized something. Remembering people, places, and things and a bad state wasn't the way they should be remembered.

So he pulled himself out of the hug and walked over to the door. When his friends looked at him quizzically he simply stated, "I'm heading to Buck's."

And as he headed out the door he hollered back to his friends, "I'm gonna remember this town the way it's meant to be."


End file.
